effects of provider patient relationship on the rate of patient’s recovery among inpatients at wa...

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Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online) Vol.3, No.15, 2013 107 Effects of Provider-Patient Relationship on the Rate of Patient’S Recovery among Inpatients at Wa Regional Hospital William Angko 1 , Hannah Aboyinga 2 1. Department of Banking and Finance, School of Business and Law, University for Development Studies, P. O. Box UPW 36, Wa Campus. Email: [email protected]/[email protected] 2. Health Assistants Training School, Teshie Nungua, Accra Abstract Effective interpersonal relationship between healthcare provider and patient is an important element for improving patient satisfaction. The primary objective of this study is to examine the psychological impact of provider-patients relationship on patient satisfaction in the Upper West Regional Hospital. An exploratory quantitative research method was adopted to explore the proposed concepts of the study. The targeted population included a cross section of 500 patients who were seeking healthcare in the Wa Regional hospital during the study period. The results of the study revealed that patients in the study had high levels of satisfaction with care given which influenced their rate of recovery. It was also found that satisfaction influenced patients’ compliance with medical recommendations among others. There are more emphasis with regards to the level of patient satisfaction with healthcare and medical care service as evidenced by the greater number of empirical and theoretical publications regarding satisfaction in recent years, this emphasis is consistent with broader trend towards holding those who control and provide essential services more accountable to their consumers in ways other than the ones that commonly operate in the market. Patient satisfaction is therefore important because it leads to a higher rate of patient retention and customer loyalty. These also influence the rates of patient compliance with medical recommendation. Policy makers and hospital administrators should therefore pay attention to what their patients’ need from their hospitals and do everything within their power to meet those needs. Keywords: provider-Patient Relationship, rate of recovery, inpatients, level of satisfaction Background There is this saying in the business world that “the customer is always right”. This means that customers have a choice as to what they want and therefore will continue to use products and services as long as they are convinced of the quality of such services. Healthcare professionals have a task of providing medical services to patients receiving treatment under their care. In other words, Doctors, Nurses, Records officers, Dispensary technicians, and other allied healthcare providers play various roles in providing services to patients. Therefore the way and manner in which they relate with patients greatly contributes to patient satisfaction with services rendered to them. Effective interpersonal relationship between healthcare provider and patient is an important element for improving patient satisfaction (Andaleeb and Simmonds, 1997). Anecdotally, patient satisfaction could translate into treatment compliance, recovery rate and health outcomes. Patients who understand the nature of their illness and its treatment and believe the provider is concerned about their wellbeing show greater satisfaction with the care received and are more likely to comply with treatment regimens. Several studies conducted in developed countries show strong positive health outcomes and improved quality of care associated with effective interpersonal relationship. (Parson, 1975). The mind plays an important role in the wellbeing of a person. As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease and illness”. Being satisfied with treatment and care, gives an individual a sense of wellbeing and this can increase speed of recovery from ill health, since the outcome of treatment has been proven to have both physical and psychological components. Healthcare is vital for every individual in the treatment of both biological and psychological disorders. Just like any other consumer of services, the greatest expectation of patients from healthcare providers in alleviating such sufferings is in part explained by the dimension of satisfaction. Dissatisfaction certainly results in dispute among service providers and patients since patients are the primary beneficiaries of the services and care that hospitals provide. Patient satisfaction is defined by Pascoe (1983) as the patient’s reaction to salient aspects of the context, process and results of their experience. Satisfaction was also defined by Speeding & Rose (1985) as the physician’s ability to communicate concern, warmth and interest in the patient as a whole person which evokes a positive response from the patient. Unless the medical encounter is successful in relieving the patient’s emotional distress endangered by symptoms of illness and uncertainties of treatment, it may not provide the full measure of satisfaction to the patient. Patient satisfaction measures the patients’ opinion of the quality of healthcare services provided to them and their family members/visitors during their stay in the hospital. There are many important factors that contribute

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Page 1: Effects of provider patient relationship on the rate of patient’s recovery among inpatients at wa regional hospital

Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org

ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)

Vol.3, No.15, 2013

107

Effects of Provider-Patient Relationship on the Rate of Patient’S

Recovery among Inpatients at Wa Regional Hospital

William Angko1, Hannah Aboyinga

2

1. Department of Banking and Finance, School of Business and Law, University for Development Studies,

P. O. Box UPW 36, Wa Campus. Email: [email protected]/[email protected]

2. Health Assistants Training School, Teshie Nungua, Accra

Abstract

Effective interpersonal relationship between healthcare provider and patient is an important element for

improving patient satisfaction. The primary objective of this study is to examine the psychological impact of

provider-patients relationship on patient satisfaction in the Upper West Regional Hospital. An exploratory

quantitative research method was adopted to explore the proposed concepts of the study. The targeted population

included a cross section of 500 patients who were seeking healthcare in the Wa Regional hospital during the

study period. The results of the study revealed that patients in the study had high levels of satisfaction with care

given which influenced their rate of recovery. It was also found that satisfaction influenced patients’ compliance

with medical recommendations among others. There are more emphasis with regards to the level of patient

satisfaction with healthcare and medical care service as evidenced by the greater number of empirical and

theoretical publications regarding satisfaction in recent years, this emphasis is consistent with broader trend

towards holding those who control and provide essential services more accountable to their consumers in ways

other than the ones that commonly operate in the market. Patient satisfaction is therefore important because it

leads to a higher rate of patient retention and customer loyalty. These also influence the rates of patient

compliance with medical recommendation. Policy makers and hospital administrators should therefore pay

attention to what their patients’ need from their hospitals and do everything within their power to meet those

needs.

Keywords: provider-Patient Relationship, rate of recovery, inpatients, level of satisfaction

Background

There is this saying in the business world that “the customer is always right”. This means that customers have a

choice as to what they want and therefore will continue to use products and services as long as they are

convinced of the quality of such services. Healthcare professionals have a task of providing medical services to

patients receiving treatment under their care. In other words, Doctors, Nurses, Records officers, Dispensary

technicians, and other allied healthcare providers play various roles in providing services to patients. Therefore

the way and manner in which they relate with patients greatly contributes to patient satisfaction with services

rendered to them. Effective interpersonal relationship between healthcare provider and patient is an important

element for improving patient satisfaction (Andaleeb and Simmonds, 1997). Anecdotally, patient satisfaction

could translate into treatment compliance, recovery rate and health outcomes. Patients who understand the nature

of their illness and its treatment and believe the provider is concerned about their wellbeing show greater

satisfaction with the care received and are more likely to comply with treatment regimens. Several studies

conducted in developed countries show strong positive health outcomes and improved quality of care associated

with effective interpersonal relationship. (Parson, 1975). The mind plays an important role in the wellbeing of a

person. As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948, “Health is a state of complete physical,

mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease and illness”. Being satisfied with treatment

and care, gives an individual a sense of wellbeing and this can increase speed of recovery from ill health, since

the outcome of treatment has been proven to have both physical and psychological components.

Healthcare is vital for every individual in the treatment of both biological and psychological disorders. Just like

any other consumer of services, the greatest expectation of patients from healthcare providers in alleviating such

sufferings is in part explained by the dimension of satisfaction. Dissatisfaction certainly results in dispute among

service providers and patients since patients are the primary beneficiaries of the services and care that hospitals

provide. Patient satisfaction is defined by Pascoe (1983) as the patient’s reaction to salient aspects of the context,

process and results of their experience. Satisfaction was also defined by Speeding & Rose (1985) as the

physician’s ability to communicate concern, warmth and interest in the patient as a whole person which evokes a

positive response from the patient. Unless the medical encounter is successful in relieving the patient’s

emotional distress endangered by symptoms of illness and uncertainties of treatment, it may not provide the full

measure of satisfaction to the patient.

Patient satisfaction measures the patients’ opinion of the quality of healthcare services provided to them and

their family members/visitors during their stay in the hospital. There are many important factors that contribute

Page 2: Effects of provider patient relationship on the rate of patient’s recovery among inpatients at wa regional hospital

Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org

ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)

Vol.3, No.15, 2013

108

to the patient’s experience with service provision in the hospital. Also, it is important because it leads to a higher

rate of patient retention and customer loyalty (Nelson and Larson, 1993) and influences the rates of patient

compliance with physician advice (Calnan 1988; Roter, Hall, and Katz 1987). Patients as customers are not

homogeneous in what they expect from care providers (Reidenbach and Sandifer-Smallwood 1990), and that

different patient subgroups (e.g., old versus young and chronic versus acute) may place different degrees of

importance on the various quality dimensions that in turn influence patient satisfaction (Fletcher, 1983).

To cope with the emerging concern about cost containment and cost effectiveness of healthcare interventions,

providers must learn how to effectively satisfy the needs and desires of their patients. Consequently, the culture

is shifting from emphasizing the efficacy and effectiveness of care outcomes to adapting services in response to

patient needs (Donabedian 1996; Williams 1994). In this new culture, providers and policymakers are

increasingly using patient satisfaction measures to assess the performance of healthcare organizations (Hibbard

and Jewett 1996). Everyone often has positive or negative word-of-mouth upon visiting the hospital. Long

waiting time, insensitivity, apparently faulty diagnoses and treatments that have no effect on patients in recent

times causes patients dissatisfaction. In Ghana, the issue of satisfactory health services has always been a major

challenge. It is therefore not surprising that many organizations which are into health thus governmental,

donors/partners as well as non-governmental have throughout these years made attempts to improve on patient

satisfaction in healthcare services. The system has also experienced tremendous reforms to tackle problems of

rising costs of medical services, inefficiencies in service provision, poor quality of care and inequality in service

delivery. In 2005, Ghana reformed its health sector from the traditional user fee, commonly called “the cash and

carry system” to introduce the national health insurance scheme (NHIS). The scheme took ground from the

successful exercise of the community-based mutual health insurance. This was intended to improve patients’

access to health care. However, since its implementation access to health care has been improved with

significant compromise on quality.

Patients are sometimes met with unfriendly and provocative language from care providers. From this perspective,

poor communication is a hindrance to effective provider-patients relationship. Others are lack of privacy during

the interaction encounter, time constraints due to heavy patient loads or family pressures, or fear of lack of

confidentiality resulting in low recovery rate of patients, non-compliance to treatment, high re-admission rate.

From these issues above, it is imperative to focus on issues of patient satisfaction with particular attention on the

psychological impact of provider patient-interaction, hence the need for this study.

Objectives of the Study The primary objective of this study is to examine the psychological impact of provider-patients relationship on

patient satisfaction in the Upper West Regional Hospital. Specifically, the study seeks;

• To assess patients perception of provider attitude

• To examine impact of provider-patient relationship on patient satisfaction

• To examine what constitute patients satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

• To examine the determinants of patient satisfaction

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The Primary Provider Theory (AJMQ, 2003),proposed by Aragon is a generalize theory of how the patient-

centeredness of health care providers affects outcomes like patient trust, satisfaction, ratings of quality, and other

results. The theory states that, disproportionate to any other variable, patient satisfaction is distinctly and

primarily linked to the physician/provider behaviour and secondarily to waiting time. The theory holds that

patient satisfaction occurs at the nexus of provider power and patient expectations.

More specifically, patient

satisfaction is principally the function of an underlying network of interrelated satisfaction constructs-satisfaction

with the primary provider, waiting for the provider, and satisfaction with the provider's assistants. Hierarchically

linked to patient-centered expectations of provider value, the Theory specifies that primary

providers offer the

greatest clinical utility to patients. The Theory is operational by patient-centered measures exclusively,

where

only patients judge the quality of service.

EMPIRICAL LITERATURE

The study of patient satisfaction did not begin in earnest until the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. This might be

attributed to the commercialization of medicine, and by increasing interest in “individual experience” among

social scientists. Patient satisfaction is therefore important because it leads to a higher rate of patient retention

and customer loyalty and influences the rates of patient compliance with physician advice (Calnan 1988; Roter,

Hall, and Katz 1987). A good deal of research has explored a variety of healthcare service quality dimensions

that may influence patient satisfaction, such as continuity of care, physician expertise, the concern shown by the

physician and other medical staff, and physical facilities (Fletcher, 1983; Ware, Davies-Avery, and Stewart

1978). According to Linder-Pelz, (1982), Components that constitute patient satisfaction are

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ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)

Vol.3, No.15, 2013

109

accessibility/convenience, availability of resources, continuity of care, efficacy/outcomes of care, finances,

humanness, information gathering, information giving, pleasantness of surroundings, and quality/competence.

However, the author found no theoretical formulation of patient satisfaction and thus began an independent

theoretical work by formulating a theory based on theories of job satisfaction, as seemingly little ethnographic

work on patient satisfaction had been conducted

The interaction between patients and healthcare providers is very unique. Among other features include an

emotional intensity because the healthcare provider is given access to the patients’ body and intimate details of

the patients’ life. Domatteo, (1980) found out that when ill, an emotional dependency can develop. Parson’s

(1951, 1975) work on the sick role added that, a patient is a willing passive recipient of care provided by a

knowledgeable health care provider. The patients freely give up their power to professionals because they have

specialized knowledge that the patients do not have and professionals willingly accept this power. In comparison

with Parson’s sick role, Roth’s (1963, 1972) studies of doctor–patient relationships in tuberculosis hospitals

found that patients were less likely to remain passive and used negotiation and bargaining to increase their

interpersonal power; never, however, to the point of attaining equality. Hewiston (1995) and Johnson and Webb

(1995) also studied power dimensions in nurse–patient interactions

Sitzia and Wood (1997) suggest that patient satisfaction could be assessed by measuring 1) the degree to which

patients believe that care possesses certain attributes and 2) the patient’s evaluation of those attributes. They

suggest that satisfaction is not a single concept but made up of multiple determinants and that there exists three

independent models of satisfaction, each associated with one determinant. Thus, there is the “need for the

familiar,” the “goals of help-seeking” and the “importance of emotional needs.” Furthermore, there is evidence

that there are two states of satisfaction, stable ones related to health care generally and dynamic ones related to

specific health care interactions. Components of satisfaction consist of: structural, technical and interpersonal

aspects of care. Expectations of patient are critical as they form the basis for the subjective assessment of care in

the rating of satisfaction.

There can be different expectations for different aspects of care and patients with lower expectations tend to be

more satisfied. Satisfaction should not be interpreted as a measure of quality of care but must be interpreted in

the context. The determinants of satisfaction are expectations, patient characteristics, and psychosocial

determinants. The structural aspects includes: access, physical setting, costs, convenience, and treatment by non-

clinical staff/insurers. The technical aspects include knowledge, competence/quality of care, interventions, and

outcomes. The interpersonal aspects includes: communication, empathy, and education. Inui and Carter (1985)

study of provider-patient communication, asserts that, even with the vast knowledge available on biological

processes and disease mechanisms, communication between health care provider and patient is an extremely

important aspect of health care. Attempting to measure this, however, requires interdisciplinary activities, since

merely measuring satisfaction at the conclusion of an interaction cannot measure all the nuances of

communication (both verbal and non-verbal). They describe methods of systematic analysis of these interactions,

citing that many of the methods have generic similarities: strategies utilized direct observation; emphasis on

specific processes such as verbal communication; multiple classifications to categorize encounters; and an

approach to quantify the events. The authors also argue that it is important to understand pre-encounter state in

order to place post-encounter measures into perspective. This could include patient expectations of the encounter,

degree of prior exposure to the health care provider, and demographic characteristics, all of which can ultimately

effect how a patient interprets the encounter. The authors conclude that it is important to augment measures that

categorize a specific type of interaction (verbal communication is given as an example) with measures of other

types of interaction, such as body language. They also point out that for chronic diseases, addressing symptoms

and providing support rather than a “cure” is often the goal, once again pointing to the importance of

communicating effectively with patients through the course of their treatment.

In a study by Linn (1975), on factors associated with patient evaluation of health Care, he relates satisfaction

with health insurance coverage, healthcare provider, and “new” (at the time) non-physician health care providers

(e.g. physician’s assistant) and found out that there were high levels of patient satisfaction. Kane, Maciejewski

and Finch. (1997), also asserts that patient satisfaction is not only important as an outcome of the patient’s

experience with the health care encounter, but as an important determinant of health-related outcomes. They

argued that patients that had a more positive health care experience may be more likely to comply with treatment

or to keep follow-up appointments that are a component of continued care. A key result was that “patient

satisfaction indeed is related to the outcomes of care, but that the relationship is stronger for absolute outcome

than for the relative ones”. This suggests that how a patient is feeling when assessed is more important to patient

satisfaction than the degree of improvement in health status over time.

HYPOTHESES

• A positive relationship exist between patient satisfaction and recovery

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• Age, sex and educational level of patient will positively influence patient satisfaction

• Satisfied patients will be more likely to follow medical recommendations than unsatisfied patients

• Communication, infrastructural and psychosocial factors will impact positively on patient satisfaction

METHODOLOGY

An exploratory quantitative research method was adopted to explore the proposed concepts of the study. The

targeted population included a cross section of the patients who were seeking healthcare in the Wa Regional

hospital during the study period and consisted of both outpatients and inpatients. A convenience sampling design

was adopted to obtain participants for the study. In all, 100 participants in all consisting 50 inpatients and 50

outpatients were covered. The proportion of the sample of each group is considered using the staff- patient ratio

in the hospital. Data was collected using a semi-structured interview questionnaire. The measure was adapted

form of McCloskey/Mueller satisfaction scale (1990), a 31 item multidimensional instrument, 5 point Likert

scale with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.89. It was originally developed to rank rewards that nurse’s value and that

encourage them to remain in their jobs; the McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale (MMSS) is being used

extensively in research and practice to measure nurse job satisfaction. A pilot study was first conducted to check

the appropriateness of the questionnaire. Administration of questionnaires was done under confidential

conditions. The questionnaire will comprise of four sections: Section A: demographic information, Section B:

Patients satisfaction as a result of the provider-patient relationship, Section C: Psychological impact of provider-

patient relationship, Section D: Recommendation on a better provider-patient relationship. Attaching a score of

1-5 to a Likert scale (from 1very dissatisfied- 5 very satisfied) will score the data. A mark of one(1) will be

awarded for every ‘Yes’ answer if the question is phrased to mean a positive relationship like “Does the

healthcare provider give a good reception?” whilst a mark of zero(0) will be given for all ‘No’ answers in the

same question. Questions with three (3) possible choices will be rated on a scale of Very Good, Good, or Poor”

A mark of three (3) or one (1) will be given to extreme choices.

RESULTS

The study empirically examines the effects of provider-patient relationship and the rate of patient’s recovery

specifically involving inpatient of the medical unit of the upper west regional hospital. In the analysis, five

hypotheses were tested; the hypotheses are measured around the extent and the nature of patient satisfaction as a

result of provider-patient relationship. Results obtained are captured under five headings; the first part displayed

results on satisfaction and rate of recovery. The second part illustrated the findings obtained on education and

how it influences satisfaction. Thirdly, the study was also interested in finding out how age influences

satisfaction. The fourth looked at Gender and Satisfaction and finally, the study examine satisfaction and

compliance with medical recommendations.

Demographic Characteristics

Demographic data for the entire sample (N=500). The survey made a conscious effort to achieve an equal gender

representation. However, the inpatient response data result indicates that about 32% of the fifty respondents were

males and rest of the 68% was females. This shows that majority of the patents on admission at the medical unit

that were interviewed were females. The survey defined six age groups. Young people less than 20 years formed

16% of survey respondents, 32% and 36% were young adults between the ages of 21-30 and 31-40 respectively,

4% and 2% were also older adults between the ages of 41-50 and 51-60 respectively, and only 4% were aged

above 60 years. A majority of respondents had some form of formal education. 16 % of the respondents had

university education and above, 8% had Polytechnic education, 4% with training college certificate, 14% had

some form of secondary education, 16% had a middle/ JHS school leaving certificate. Only 7% had some

primary education and 38% of the respondents had no education at all.

Hypothesis one: Satisfaction and rate of recovery

Hypothesis one stated that satisfied patients are more likely to recover faster than dissatisfied patients. Table one

below shows the frequencies observed under the various recovery and satisfaction conditions. The chi-square

was then used to analyze the data

Table 1: Satisfaction and rate of recovery

Level of Satisfaction

df

P Rate of Recovery Very Satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied

Very fast 90 10 0

4

37.49

0.00

Fast 10 130 10

Slow 10 150 80

Source: Field Survey, 2010

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Vol.3, No.15, 2013

111

The calculated Chi-Square value revealed [2χ

(4) = 37.49, p < 0.05]

The expectation was that patients who are more satisfied with treatment are more likely to have faster rate of

recovery from their illness. The result presented above suggests that the Chi-square value is statistically

significant and this implies that the test support the hypothesis that patients that are very satisfied with treatment

at the hospital are more likely to recover faster than their counterparts who are not satisfied.

Hypothesis two: Level of Education and rate of recovery

Hypothesis two predicted that educated patients would be more satisfied than uneducated patients. The chi-

square was used to analyze the data.

Table 2: Level of Education and Satisfaction

Level of Education

Satisfaction

df

P Very Satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied

No education 60 100 30

12

12.67

0.39

Primary 0 10 10

Middle/JHS 20 60 0

SHS 10 50 10

Training College(NTC) or

/Teacher training)

10 0 10

Polytechnic 0 40 0

University and above 10 40 30

Source: Field Survey, 2010

From the table above chi-square results revealed [2χ

(12) = 12.67, p>0.05] rejecting the hypothesis regarding

this test that educated patients are more satisfied than uneducated patients. The results in table two above suggest

that the Chi-square is statistically not significant and therefore do not support the hypothesis. Despite this fact

the that the Chi-squared did not support the hypothesis (calculated P=0.39 > critical P=0.05), it can be observed

from our frequencies in table 2 above, that educated patients (primary up to university education and above)

responded to be more satisfied than their counterparts with no educational at all.

Hypothesis Three: Age of Respondents and Level of Satisfaction

Hypothesis three also predicted that older patients would be more satisfied than younger patients. Again the chi-

square was used.

Table 3: Age and level of satisfaction

Level of Satisfaction

df

P Age of Respondent

Very Satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied

Less than 20 0 50 30

9.289

0.505

21-30 30 110 20

31-40 60 80 40 10

41-50 0 20 0

51-60 10 30 0

60 and above 10 10 10

Source: Field Survey, 2010

From the table above, chi-square results revealed [2χ

(10) = 9.29, p>0.05] rejecting the hypotheses that older

patients are more satisfied than younger patients. From the discussion above, the chi-squared is statistically

insignificant since the calculated p=0.505 is greater than the critical p=0.05. Operationally, older patients are

defined as persons aged 41 years and above while younger patients are those aged 40 years and below at their

last birthday. Following the discussion, it can be seen that younger patients are more satisfied with inpatient

treatment than older patients at the Wa regional hospital.

Hypothesis four: Gender and Satisfaction

The fourth hypotheses suggest that male patients will be more satisfied than female.

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Table 4: Gender and Satisfaction

Level of Satisfaction

df

P Gender Very Satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied

Male 30 110 20

2

0.81

0.67 female 80 190 70

Source: Field Survey, 2010

The chi-square value revealed [2χ

(2) = 0.81, p>0.05]. The rule of thumb is that if the calculated P-value

(P=0.67) is greater than the critical p-value (P=0.05), then we reject the null hypothesis and conclude that the

chi-square is statistically insignificant. The results suggest that female patients are more satisfied with treatment

at hospital than male patients. The possible reason that can be given for the rejection of the null hypothesis could

be that the sampling did not get equal representation in gender. In general, it was observed that female (27) were

more satisfied with treatment than their male (14) counterparts at the inpatient wards

Hypothesis five: Satisfaction and Compliance with treatment

Hypothesis stipulated that satisfied patients will be more likely to follow medical recommendations than

dissatisfied patients.

Table 5: Satisfaction and Compliance with treatment

Level of Satisfaction

df

P Compliance rate Very Satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied

Yes 100 300 70 2

9.27

0.010 No 0 0 20

Source: Field Survey, 2010

From table 5 above, the chi-square value showed [2χ

(2) = 9.27, p<0.05]. This implies that the chi-square is

statistically significant at a 5% level of significance. This is because the calculated p-value (P=0.010) is less than

the 5% significance level. From table 5 above, the results suggest that patients that were satisfied (very satisfied)

complied with treatment at the hospital.

DISCUSSION

The study investigates into the psychological impact of provider-patient relationship on patient satisfaction (a

study involving inpatients of the medical unit of the upper west regional hospital, Wa). The first hypothesis

sought to investigate satisfaction among patients with regard to provider-patient relationship and the effect of

such satisfaction on the rate of recovery.It stipulated association between level of satisfaction and rate of

recovery. Results of the data analysis supported this hypothesis. Satisfied patients were reported to have a faster

rate of recovery than dissatisfied patients. Patients found that their experience at the hospital was satisfactory. In

this situation, satisfaction of patients pertained to their interaction with care providers and the ward environment.

The level of patients’ satisfaction with the provider-patients relationship was based on providers’ attitude,

competence and waiting time for patient. This hypothesis was supported by Joos (1990), which noted that the

relationship between patient and staff predicts patient satisfaction. This satisfaction further has a significant

influence on various treatment outcomes and recovery. From a psychological point of view therefore, it is

apparent from this present research findings that cognitive factors such as perception of patients is key to their

responses to clinical or therapeutic procedures.

Another hypothesis in this study predicted that males would be more satisfied than females. This hypothesis was

not supported. The results suggested that female patients were more satisfied with treatment at the unit than male

patients. In general, it was observed that female were more satisfied with treatment than their male counterparts

at the inpatient wards. Earlier research in this area also found sex difference in satisfaction among hospital

patients. In a study by Hardy, West and Hill (1996), men were found to report significantly greater satisfaction

on the health scale than women. A possible explanation for this contrary finding could be that the sampling did

not get equal representation in gender this present study used a smaller sample size.

It was also hypothesized in this work that educated patients would be more satisfied than their uneducated

counterparts. The results revealed that the Chi-square value was statistically not significant and therefore do not

support the hypothesis. Despite this fact that the Chi-square did not support the hypothesis (calculated P=0.39 >

critical P=0.05), it was observed from the frequencies in table 2, that educated patients (primary up to university

education and above) responded to be more satisfied than their counterparts with no educational at all. This

hypothesis was based on findings of Liu and Wang (2007), and Charalambos and Dimitris (2005). They found

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Patients' level of education, among other factors such as age, occupation, methods of payment, and hospital

wards as the main factors influencing patient satisfaction with nursing care. Thus educated patients were

satisfied with care than uneducated patients and thus support the results of the data analyzed.

Calnan (1988); Roter, Hall, and Katz (1987), in their studies found patient satisfaction as important because it

leads to a higher rate of patient retention and customer loyalty and also influences the rates of patient compliance

with physician advice. Comparative to this study, the data gathered on patient satisfaction and compliance

confirmed the hypothesis which stated that “that satisfied patients will be more likely to follow medical

recommendations than dissatisfied patients”. Practically, Patients who understand the nature of their illness and

its treatment and believe the provider is concerned about their wellbeing show greater satisfaction with the care

received and are more likely to comply with treatment regimens.

Summary and conclusion

This study analyzed the psychological impact through an examination of provider- patient relationship and

patients’ satisfaction. The results of the study revealed that patients in the study had high levels of satisfaction

with care given which influenced their rate of recovery. It was also found that satisfaction influenced patients’

compliance with medical recommendations among others. There are more emphasis with regards to the level of

patient satisfaction with healthcare and medical care service as evidenced by the greater number of empirical and

theoretical publications regarding satisfaction in recent years, this emphasis is consistent with broader trend

towards holding those who control and provide essential services more accountable to their consumers in ways

other than the ones that commonly operate in the market. Patient satisfaction is therefore important because it

leads to a higher rate of patient retention and customer loyalty. These also influence the rates of patient

compliance with medical recommendation. Policy makers and hospital administrators should therefore pay

attention to what their patients’ need from their hospitals and do everything within their power to meet those

needs. The results of this research could be used to develop policies that could lead to an improvement in

patients’ satisfaction and therefore ensure better provider-patient relationship in the upper west regional hospital,

Wa.

Recommendation

Although this study yielded important results about provider-patient relationship and patient satisfaction, there is

much more research to be done. One recommendation is to conduct a further research using a much larger,

randomized sample and more standardized test to measure the level of patient satisfaction. This will help to

improve the likelihood of achieving statistically significant results that could be generalized to a larger and more

diverse population. There are many other studies that could further patients’ understanding satisfaction. One

would be to do a qualitative study that examines which factors are most important to patients’ satisfaction.

Further study to determine the role of provider-patient relationship in patients’ satisfaction would be valuable to

hospital administrators when developing benefits related to quality of care and satisfaction

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Appendix

Age of Respondent Frequency Percentage

Less than 20 80 16

21-30 160 32

31-40 170 34

41-50 20 4

51-60 40 8

Above 60 30 6

Total 500 100

Gender

Male 160 32

Female 340 68

Total 500 100

Marital Status

Married 310 62

Single 160 32

Widowed 30 6

Divorced 0 0

Total 500 100

Educational level

No education 190 38

Primary 20 4

Middle/Junior High School 80 16

Senior High School 70 14

Training College (NTC /Teacher training) 20 4

Polytechnic 40 8

University and above 80 16

Total 500 100

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1) Level of satisfaction and rate of recovery

Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 9.289a 10 .505

Likelihood Ratio 12.175 10 .274

Linear-by-Linear Association 3.530 1 .060

N of Valid Cases 500

a. 16 cells (88.9%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .36.

Symmetric Measures

Value Asymp. Std. Errora Approx. T

b Approx. Sig.

Interval by Interval Pearson's R -.268 .108 -1.931 .059c

Ordinal by Ordinal Spearman Correlation -.264 .117 -1.899 .064c

N of Valid Cases 500

a. Not assuming the null hypothesis.

b. Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis.

c. Based on normal approximation.

Age of respondents and level of satisfaction

Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 37.492a 4 .000

Likelihood Ratio 34.703 4 .000

Linear-by-Linear Association 25.059 1 .000

N of Valid Cases 500

a. 5 cells (55.6%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 1.84.

Symmetric Measures

Value Asymp. Std. Errora Approx. T

b Approx. Sig.

Interval by Interval Pearson's R .678 .083 6.322 .000c

Ordinal by Ordinal Spearman Correlation .651 .096 5.880 .000c

N of Valid Cases 500

a. Not assuming the null hypothesis.

b. Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis.

c. Based on normal approximation.

Gender and Satisfaction

Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 11.641a 4 .020

Likelihood Ratio 10.206 4 .037

Linear-by-Linear Association 3.952 1 .047

N of Valid Cases 500

a. 5 cells (55.6%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .54.

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Symmetric Measures

Value Asymp. Std. Errora Approx. T

b Approx. Sig.

Interval by Interval Pearson's R -.284 .141 -2.052 .046c

Ordinal by Ordinal Spearman Correlation -.147 .151 -1.028 .309c

N of Valid Cases 500

a. Not assuming the null hypothesis.

b. Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis.

c. Based on normal approximation.

Education and level of satisfaction

Chi-Square Tests

Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 12.664a 12 .394

Likelihood Ratio 15.803 12 .200

Linear-by-Linear Association 1.802 1 .179

N of Valid Cases 500

a. 20 cells (95.2%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .36.

Symmetric Measures

Value Asymp. Std. Errora Approx. T

b Approx. Sig.

Interval by Interval Pearson's R .192 .142 1.354 .182c

Ordinal by Ordinal Spearman Correlation .191 .144 1.345 .185c

N of Valid Cases 500

a. Not assuming the null hypothesis.

b. Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis.

c. Based on normal approximation.

Level of Satisfaction and compliance with treatment

Chi-Square Tests

Value Df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)

Pearson Chi-Square 9.267a 2 .010

Likelihood Ratio 7.177 2 .028

Linear-by-Linear Association 5.491 1 .019

N of Valid Cases 490

a. 3 cells (50.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .37.

Column2 Column3 Column4 Column5 Column6

Value Asymp. Std. Errora Approx. T

b Approx. Sig.

Interval by Interval

Pearson's R 0.338 0.111 2.464 .017

c

Ordinal by Ordinal Spearman

Correlation 0.335 0.112 2.442 .018

c

a. Not assuming the null hypothesis.

b. Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis.

c. Based on normal

approximation.

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ANOVA

ANOVA

how do you assess your level of satisfaction with treatment at the hospital

Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups 10.060 20 5.030 23.471 .000

Within Groups 9.858 460 .214

Total 19.918 480

ANOVA

did you conply with the instructions given to you by the provider (nurse, doctor )

Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups .025 20 .012 .297 .744

Within Groups 1.892 450 .042

Total 1.917 470

ANOVA

Gender

Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups .250 20 .125 .566 .572

Within Groups 10.158 460 .221

Total 10.408 480

Determinants of patients satisfaction

ANOVAb

Model Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F Sig.

1 Regression 10.144 50 2.029 8.925 .000a

Residual 9.775 430 .227

Total 19.918 480

a. Predictors: (Constant), how do you assess your rate of recovery at the hospital, Gender, highest level of

educational attainment, marital status, Age of respondent

b. Dependent Variable: how do you assess your level of satisfaction with treatment at the hospital

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